Our vision
Women are not the only victims of gender-based violence. Men, transgender people, and other members of the LGBTQ+ community all face the threat of violence. Many victims of gender-based violence, including LGBTQ+ people, face domestic abuse, sexual violence, bullying in school, workplace discrimination, and other unique challenges due to factors such as gender, age, self-identification, and physical and mental condition. Despite that, they are rarely represented within the gender-based violence prevention system.
According to a survey conducted by GOH in 2019, 42% of LGBTQ+ people have experienced gender-based violence. When an incident happens, the people they are most likely to turn to for help are friends, both online and offline. Only 4.1% are willing to seek help from third-sector organizations, and even fewer are willing to go to government agencies for support (1.4%). Of those who choose not to seek aid, 33% believe that doing so would not be of any help, 16% claim that the support system is either unsafe or unwelcoming, and 14% are too afraid to even ask for help. Others said they had called for help before but received replies such as “We don’t provide LGBTQ+ services” or “We don’t know how we can help you.”
GOH understands that bullying in school is the most common form of violence faced by LGBTQ+ people. The physical and mental trauma it causes can play a part in victims choosing to drop out of school and leave lasting effects on mental health and interpersonal relationships. The Gender Equity Education Act incorporated sexual bullying into the law in 2011. However, in practice, school staff often see it as just bullying in general, often treating it as general banter between students and thus not reporting it to the authorities. According to statistics published by the Department of Education in 2018, there were only 128 reported cases of sexual bullying. In comparison, there were 1,766 cases of sexual assault and 5,982 cases of sexual harassment. The gap in reporting is astounding and demonstrates that schools still lack sensitivity when dealing with these issues.
The absence of consideration for LGBTQ+ people within the gender-based violence prevention system is not because they do not experience violence, nor because they do not need help. Rather, it is because the system is simply incomplete. The resources provided are insufficient, and workers in the system lack knowledge of the community, meaning victims have little means of accessing help for their physical and mental trauma.
GOH believes that, in addition to introducing new resources and providing medium- and long-term assistance and companionship through professional channels, workers in the system also need to strengthen their ability to act with sensitivity in a diverse range of scenarios and understand the trauma and complicated implications that arise from a variety of coexisting factors.
How we educate the public
From domestic abuse to bullying in schools, the various kinds of violence experienced by LGBTQ+ people are closely related to gender discrimination. We must educate the public to eliminate gender discrimination and establish an optimal, supportive environment in the community.
The perfect supportive environment requires the involvement of everyone and the cultivation of sensitivity towards gender issues. GOH tries to incorporate LGBTQ+ experiences into discussions and included concepts on transgenderism and gender equality education in Taiwan’s Vagina Stories: Shidi. In addition to getting the general public more acquainted with the LGBTQ+ community, GOH wants LGBTQ+ people to feel that they are seen and not alone.
GOH has participated in LGBTQ+ pride marches and transgender pride marches and has actively tried to create a welcoming atmosphere for all at these events in order to express our support for the LGBTQ+ community. In addition, we have advocated for amendments to the law, called for related agencies to strengthen their training programs, and called on schools to commit to positive action. We hope that this will help workers in the system become able to treat LGBTQ+ issues with more sensitivity, attach more importance to sexual bullying and related issues, and promote a more welcoming and supportive environment.
Legal and policy advocacy
GOH calls for the promotion of greater sensitivity within the gender-based violence prevention system, the inclusion of diverse families, the amendment of related laws, the legal right for same-sex couples to adopt non-biological children, and the safeguarding of equal rights for homosexual couples. GOH looks forward to the day that every child can have a legal relationship with their close family members and that every type of family is considered equal in the eyes of the law.